In Sumeru, pretend to be a scholar

Besides, this scholar is a traveler and a friend of Paimon, so he must be an even better person.

"Hello, my name is Aino. I am skilled in mechanical inventions and currently live with Ineff. You are welcome to visit my jingling egg roll workshop often."

She stretched out her hand with its exaggerated sleeve.

Wang Yan smiled and shook hands with the other person, shaking his head slightly: "Hello, I am Wang Yan, a scholar of the Zhilun School of the Teaching Academy, who also has a little knowledge of mechanical arts."

"Mechanical engineering!" Aino's eyes lit up even more. "Then you must know about mechanics too, right?"

"I know a little, but not much, since there are many differences between the two," Wang Yan said modestly.

Aino's eyes lit up, and she pulled Wang Yan into the workshop: "Come and see my invention!"

Upon entering the workshop, Ineff had already prepared tea and placed it on a simple tin tea table.

Ying and Paimon went over and sat down, while Eno pulled Wang Yan aside and showed him his strange invention.

A "sweeping dog" that looks like a puppy but has a rotating brush head at the bottom; an "alarm clock bird" with delicate feathers that flaps its wings and chirps when the point is reached; a "multifunctional arm" that can flexibly grab items and can be switched into a suction nozzle at the end...

Lin Lin brought out more than a dozen works.

“They are all my family!” Aino stroked the mechanical watch face, his eyes filled with affection.

Wang Yan squatted down and carefully observed the structure and linkage details of each invention.

These inventions are different from the common mechanisms of Sumeru and the Celestial mechanisms of Liyue.

The machinery of Nordkalley, apart from its extraordinary energy source, is essentially closer to the modern mechanical science that Wang Yan experienced before his time travel.

The same applies to Aino's technological achievements.

Whether it's a sweeper dog, an alarm clock bird, or anything else, although Aino has given them a cute and interesting appearance and treats them as family members, they are essentially steel creations, assembled from a series of mechanical parts such as gears, transmissions, and levers.

Although this is completely different from Wang Yan's approach of using mechanical techniques and runes.

However, after observing him, Wang Yan still believed that Aino was a true genius.

Despite her young age, she has already surpassed most people in mechanical skills—no, not just perhaps, but definitely.

“A clever design.” Wang Yan pointed to the sweeping dog. “The transmission mechanism here is very smart, ensuring both flexibility and preventing it from getting stuck.”

Then, looking at the alarm clock bird: "Using a hollow design to reduce weight, it can fly with just a little power. It's a great idea."

"And these..."

Wang Yan praised all the treasures that Aino had brought out, and finally said, "However, more than your superb skills, I can feel your heart."

"Heart?" Paimon flew over at some point, looking like he didn't understand.

Wang Yan smiled and nodded: "Yes, [heart], or rather [care] and [love]."

"Can you tell these things from the mechanics?" Paimon asked incredulously.

Eno's eyes lit up, and Ineff's eyes also flickered slightly.

Wang Yan, still smiling, looked at Paimon: "I remember you guys should have met Kakata, right?"

“Kakata! I remember, is it alright?” Paimon remembered immediately.

Wang Yan nodded: "That's right. It stays in the meditation garden, and the mentor goes to check on it from time to time."

As he spoke, Wang Yan continued, "Machines are not without hearts; they also understand love, just like Kakata tried countless times to awaken Senior Abtuyi."

"What is Kakata?" Eno asked curiously from the side.

Paimon immediately told Eno the story of Abatui and Kakata.

It's roughly about a young scholar who was expelled from the Order of the Nether for researching mechanical life. He then conducted his research in a corner of the rainforest, but due to prolonged exposure to ley line energy, his body collapsed, and he eventually died in his secret base.

Kakata was the mechanical life form he was researching. After the scholar's death, Kakata believed that its master had broken parts, causing it to stop working. It began to search for parts to replace its master, attempting to wake him up again, until its own body also began to break down and it was encountered by them.

After hearing this, tears welled up in Aino's eyes.

For most people, this story is only slightly touching.

But for Aino, a little girl who sees machines as family, the story of Abatui and Kakata is a true separation of life and death.

"Waaaaah~"

Aino couldn't hold back and burst into tears.

In an instant, Ineff appeared beside her, bent down and hugged her: "Don't cry, don't cry, I'm here, Enoch, don't cry."

Paimon, who had finished telling the story, was also at a loss. He flew to the side, wanting to comfort Aino, but didn't know what to say.

After a while, Aino finally calmed down: "Kakata is so pitiful, I want to give it a Swiss roll!"

"Uh... Kakata probably can't eat a Swiss roll."

"Shall we go find it? I'm sure I can fix it."

Eno embraced Ineff and said coquettishly.

Ineff's eyes flashed: "Establish the Sumeru Travel Plan... But Aino, you still have four projects to complete. The Lamplighter has already made advance payments. If the projects are delayed, you will not have the dessert funding for the next three months."

"Huh? I remember I still had a lot of money for desserts!" Aino stopped crying, her tears instantly disappearing, her eyes filled with shock.

Ineff shattered her illusions with a very 'cold' voice: "Since last month, Aino's dessert funds have been overspent, and they have even misappropriated funds intended for improving Ineff's humor module."

"Stop, stop, stop! I know I was wrong." Aino raised her hands in surrender.

“Aino is always very proactive in admitting his mistakes, but he just won’t change!” Ineff said coldly.

She was clearly the one who cared about Aino the most just now, but now she's not giving Aino any face at all.

"Ahem, shall we go back to our previous topic?" Wang Yan coughed lightly, interrupting their conversation.

Aino grasped at a straw: "Yes, yes, let's get back to caring and love!"

“Oh right, oh right, Wang Yan, you just said you saw Aino’s ‘heart’ on these machines.” Paimon nodded in agreement.

Wang Yan nodded: "In most mechanical arts and mechanical education systems, the creators actually only regard their creations as tools."

"For example, the cosmic mechanisms or ruin guardians you encounter in the wild only smell like tools."

"But there is also a very small number of people who create machines not to use them as tools, but as family members and partners."

"And this kind of understanding often forms different 'wishes,' and under the blessing of these 'wishes,' these machines that are regarded as family members often undergo remarkable changes."

Paimon listened, seemingly understanding but not quite, and nodded thoughtfully: "Is this also taught in the Order of the Fathers?"

Wang Yan gave an awkward smile: "The 'Conjecture on the Evolution of Mechanical Life' is a book from the Order of the Church, which is considered a forbidden book. Don't tell anyone, or I'll be punished."

Nasita initially granted Wang Yan the degree of "Tasita," giving him more authority to read the collections of the Kyodhi Academy.

These collections naturally include some forbidden books.

However, books on the evolution of mechanical life can only be considered low-level taboos, and are nothing compared to the evolution of human life and the exploration of the universe.

Otherwise, the book wouldn't be available in the borrowable section of the Tasata.

“That makes a lot of sense. I consider Ineff and everyone else as family!” Eno didn’t care whether books were banned or not; she just thought Wang Yan’s words made sense.

Only when you treat everyone as family will everyone treat you as family.

This is also one of Aino's core principles.

However, no one had summarized it before, and now that Wang Yan said it, Aino felt that it fit her thoughts perfectly.

“Right, Inev, we’re the best family!” Eno hugged Inev.

Ineff reached out and ruffled Aino's hair: "Yes, Aino is also my most important family member!"

Ineff's love for Eno was so intense that it could even break the curse of the Dragon Lord, demonstrating its immense power.

"Hehe, Ying is my most important family member!" Paimon flew to Ying's side and hugged her. "I will definitely help Ying find her brother."

Ying smiled gently and ruffled Paimon's hair in return.

"You guys make me feel a bit lonely..." Wang Yan's words had barely fallen when "Seventy-Two Xuanming" slipped off his wrist, flew to his side, and rubbed against him, as if to say: Don't worry, you still have me.

Wang Yan smiled and tapped on "Seventy-two Xuanming".

"Seventy-two Xuanming" happily started spinning.

This scene caught Aino's attention, and she curiously came closer: "Did you make this?"

Wang Yan nodded: "'Seventy-Two Celestial Beams,' my best companions."

"May I take a look at it?" Aino asked.

“Of course, but be careful. The ‘Seventy-Two Cyclones’ is engraved with a large number of runes and celestial inscriptions, which are quite different from the mechanical style of Nordkale.” Wang Yan reached out and presented the “Seventy-Two Cyclones” to Aino, and reminded him.

Aino nodded, but his gaze remained fixed on "Seventy-two Xuanming".

Carefully reaching out, Aino held the "Seventy-Two Xuanming" in her palm and began to observe it closely.

Although Nordkale was a rare mechanical genius who created many machines that were no less powerful than those of the Celestials, Aino really couldn't understand the technology of the "Seventy-Two Cyclones".

Wang Yan was able to understand Aino's technology, partly because mechanical engineering and mechanical science do have commonalities, and partly because his education in his previous life gave him a foundation in understanding this technology.

Aino, on the other hand, was different. While she could say she had no contact with celestial records and runes at all, she knew very little about them.

The "Seventy-Two Divine Blossoms" possess a vast amount of knowledge, so much so that even a sorcerer from Liyue would be overwhelmed, let alone someone from Aino.

Hmm... This refers to the "Seventy-Two Cyclone Brightnesses" before its upgrade. Now, it's an even more legendary magical artifact. In a game, it would require you to use a huge amount of magic points to obtain it.

After looking at it for a while, Aino returned the "Seventy-Two Celestial Mirrors" to Wang Yan, somewhat disappointed, saying, "I don't quite understand it. How does it work?"

Wang Yan reached out, and the "Seventy-Two Cyclones" returned to his wrist: "In daily life... the 'Seventy-Two Cyclones' can absorb elemental power on its own for energy. Most of the runes inside are celestial registers, involving the secrets of the Liyue Celestials, so I can't say anything about them; in battle, I will also provide some power."

"That sounds amazing! No wonder he's a scholar from the Academy of Teachings, Uncle Wang Yan!" Aino exclaimed.

Wang Yan's expression froze, then his neck cracked as he looked at Aino: "M-Uncle? Am I that old?"

"No?"

"No!" Wang Yan gritted his teeth, but still managed a smile. "Just call me Wang Yan."

Chapter 175 Moonlit Silver and Philin

After Wang Yan argued his case logically, Aino finally gave up the idea of ​​calling Wang Yan "Uncle".

The conversation shifted from the mechanics to everyday life.

Suddenly, Ying brought up the fact that Wang Yan had come to Nordkalley to look for materials.

Aino's sense of responsibility as a young adult immediately came to the fore: "Wang Yan, what kind of material are you looking for? Perhaps I can help you take a look."

As the foremost mechanical genius of Nordcalle, Aino's familiarity with the materials of the Nordcalle region is undoubtedly second to none.

After thinking for a moment, Wang Yan told him about the Moonlight Silver and the Neon Gauze.

Aino thought for a moment, then turned to Inef: "Inef, help me think, do you have these two materials?"

Dragon Lords processor, works great!

Ineff's eyes lit up instantly, truly lit up.

"Searching..."

Inef's database contains not only a large amount of information that Eno entered for her, but also information as part of the Mirror of Dawn, making it arguably the most comprehensive database in Teyvat.

Ordinary mortal forces are really hard to compare with her.

Search keywords: Moonlight affinity, silver metal, name associated with 'moonlight' or similar imagery.

"Comparison records: Mithril has high conductivity to magic and some energy. Its color is silvery-white. The 'Moonlight Mithril' variant is occasionally found in ores mined under the moonlight. Its affinity for moonlight is significantly enhanced, but there is no specific name for 'Moonlight Silver' in the records."

"Comparison record: Star pattern steel, an alloy forged under specific celestial phenomena and moonlight, will have star-like patterns on its surface, and responds well to the energy of starlight and moonlight. The property description partially matches, but the name does not match."

"Comparison records: The Moonstone vein is associated with 'moonstone' and 'silver sapphire'. The former is often used in light refraction devices, and the latter is a high-quality energy-conducting metal. However, neither is a single 'silver metal' and neither emphasizes moonlight affinity as the highest characteristic."

"Comparison Record: Moonfall Silver, a flawless silver-white crystal as clear as moonlight, possesses near-perfect elemental affinity. In the legacy of the Frost Moon Child, this crystal was born five hundred years ago alongside the Moon Maiden, and was believed by the Moon-Worshipping Envoy of that time to be a gift fallen from the moon, hence the name 'Moonfall Silver.'"

"Preliminary conclusion: No material was found that is completely consistent with the name and property description of 'Moonlight Silver'. The following situations may exist: 1. The material is an extremely rare isolated case or an ancient name that has not been systematically recorded; 2. The description information contains deviations or metaphors; 3. The name of the material has changed or been lost during its transmission."

Next, Ineff turned her search to the second type of material.

Search keywords: seven-colored celestial light, woven into yarn, offered to the 'messenger from heaven', named 'neon yarn'.

"Comparison record: Rainbow silk, a type of nata fabric, uses special mineral dyes and weaving techniques to display a gradient of seven colors under sunlight. It is often used in celebratory costumes, but the raw material is silk or plant fiber, not 'capturing the seven-colored arc of the sky'."

"Comparison records: Aurora velvet, in winter, the northern border legend says that artisans tried to collect trace light elements scattered in the sky when the aurora appeared and mix them into the fabric. The finished product emits a faint light in the dark and has a soft, velvety texture. However, the aurora is not a 'seven-colored arc' in the strict sense, and the production method is almost legendary, so its authenticity is questionable."

"A search of related myths and legends reveals that themes such as 'using rainbows as threads' and 'the Weaver Girl using clouds as cloth' exist in the myths of many countries, but none of them point to the specific verifiable material 'neon gauze'."